Local communities often enter into conflict with the organization responsible for implementing a development project. These conflicts are caused by differences in interests, values, and expectations, and have a negative impact on the continuation and results of development initiatives. Although there has been significant improvement in the nexus of conflict resolution and development, there is still a need for site-specific analytical tools that are able to capture the diversity, complexity, and dynamism of communities. This paper presents the Model for the Analysis of Potential Conflict in
Development (MAPCID) which allows practitioners to analyze conflict as an intrinsic part of local development. It transcends a static view of conflict by capturing the dynamics between organizations and local communities during a development project.
By following this model, the practitioner analyzes seven levels of conflict drivers, stimulates the continuous alignment of power, culture, and goals, and enables timely participation of both parties in the development process. The promising use of MAPCID is demonstrated through the examination of a conflict between large-scale and small scale gold miners in Suriname.